GM, Ford, Toyota and Chrysler open to sharing parts

Purchasing chiefs of major auto makers said today that they would be open to the idea of sharing vehicle parts with competitors in an effort to save development cost.

“We are constantly talking to our competitors on what we can do together,” Bo Andersson, GM’s group vice president of global purchasing and supply, told Automotive News.

Ford’s senior vice president, Tony Brown, in charge of purchasing, said that kind of cooperation can help lower costs and that some of it is already going on. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of it.”

Toyota and Chrysler also said at the conference that they were interested in sharing parts with competitors.

Sharing parts can allow auto makers to save money by cutting costs on design, development and testing, especially on parts that customers do not touch or see.

Source: Automotive News (Subcription Required)

[tags]Cars, Car, Auto, Automobile, Vehicles, Technology, Auto News, News, Automotive, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, GM[/tags]